Champions Trophy 2025: PCB considers 'hybrid model', India likely to play in UAE - Report

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Nov 7, 2024, 9:57 PM IST

In a notable shift from its earlier stance, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appears open to adjusting the schedule for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, which it will host.

In a notable shift from its earlier stance, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appears open to adjusting the schedule for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, which it will host. According to a PTI report quoting sources, PCB is willing to consider a "Hybrid Model" to accommodate matches involving India, with those fixtures likely to be held in the UAE due to security concerns and the Indian government's reluctance to permit travel to Pakistan.

If implemented, the Hybrid Model would follow the precedent set during the 2023 Asia Cup, where India played its matches in Sri Lanka under similar arrangements. The PTI report quoting sources within the PCB reveal that should the Indian government restrict travel, India’s games could be staged in Dubai or Sharjah.

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The International Cricket Council (ICC), however, is unable to mandate any national cricket board to defy governmental policy. Currently, a final decision from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is pending, though it is anticipated to be influenced by Jay Shah, the ICC chair and BCCI secretary, at the time of the final call.

Meanwhile, the PCB is pressing the ICC to announce the tournament’s schedule by November 11. ICC officials are expected to visit Lahore next week for further discussions, as the PCB aims to confirm and release the match schedule to ensure timely logistical planning.

“The PCB has discussed with the ICC the tentative schedule which they sent some months back and wants the same schedule announced on 11 November,” said the source to PTI.

"It has told the ICC that since a back-up plan is already in place with a revised budget there is no sense in delaying releasing a tentative schedule of matches," the source added.

The proposed schedule from the PCB earmarks February 19, 2025, as the tournament’s start date, with Pakistan facing New Zealand in Karachi. A marquee clash between India and Pakistan is slated for March 1 in Lahore, while the final is scheduled for March 9 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. For security and logistical reasons, all of India’s games have been initially scheduled in Lahore.

The PCB has also requested the ICC to urge the BCCI to formally confirm whether it will secure government clearance for its team's participation in Pakistan. Additionally, the PCB has reportedly allocated nearly 13 billion rupees to upgrade stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi to meet international standards for the tournament.

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